Ian's Replay
by homerunhitter.jk
Summary: Ian thinks his mother has changed after ten years in prison. Then as a result of a sudden confession made by his mother, their newfound trust in each other is tested and fails. As a result, he gets a second chance to re-do a crucial point in his life.
1. Treasures

Disclaimer:

Talking Softball: Hey, look everyone! I can talk!

*Crowd ooh's and aah's*

Talking Softball: And I'm doing the Disclaimer for . She has a major headache and doesn't wish to have to do this.

Random Crowd Member: Hey everyone! It's a talking softball!

Talking Softball: Yes, I believe that we've already established this. Anyways, all owns is the plot!

Summary:

Ian thinks his mother has changed after ten years in prison. She causes him to recall a painful memory. Then as a result of a sudden confession made by his mother, their newfound trust in each other is tested and fails. As a result, he gets a second chance to re-do a crucial point in his life. This is my first fanfic, so the summary might be a bit revealing but I think that the story is worth reading, if you can get past the first couple of chapters without giving up on me.

Chapter 1

IAN'S POV

I gazed into my mother's eyes. What I saw was surprising. Instead of the cold, hard-as-ice ones I was used to, I saw life. I saw the promise of a new beginning. I looked deep into myself and questioned: 'Is this the same woman who threatened to kill Natalie and I when we were so much younger? Is she the same woman who calmly ladled blood and fish parts into clear blue water in an attempt to "scare" her distant niece into an alliance by almost giving her as a snack to the sharks? Is this the same woman who started a fire to kill two children and an elderly man, but only succeeded in being able to watch one of her oldest friends die and do nothing to prevent it?'

I shook my head as my logic kicked in. Of course it was her. She had been in the same cell for going-on ten years. Although I had noticed a slight change in my mother over time, I still found myself second-guessing her every word and as a result, was stricken speechless by her sudden confession.

"Ian? Ian! Yoo-hoo... Iaaaaaaaan," my mother's lilting voice called my attention back to the issue at hand. Just a moment before, she had told me that after all these years, she had kept a life-changing secret from me.

"You couldn't have," I stated simply. "Natalie and I both saw the empty vial. And we were both there when you confessed to all the clue-hunters that you had taken the entire Lucian serum. It's just not possible that you kept a portion of it. Where would you have hidden it? The mansion was destroyed five years back, remember? All the family's secrets and most of our belongings went up with it. There's no way it could have survived." I smirked at my logic. I chuckled to myself at my mother's ramblings.

"Ian Kabra. Don't you dare laugh at your mother! Just because I'm in prison for doing unspeakable things, doesn't mean I have completely lost it. Haven't I taught you anything? Think about THE most important thing in your eyes. Where would you keep it? At your temporary home where it could easily be found, thrown out, or destroyed? No, Ian. Think." So I did. I started with the thing that was most important to me. I sighed. Most of my treasures had been destroyed along with our house. I let my mind wander. 'What is the most important thing I have?' Unconsciously, my hand slipped down to my pocket to rub the little jade dragon pendant I always kept with me. Then I saw my mother's eyes light up as I realized that the most important thing to me was tucked into the pocket of my black-blue designer jeans. I felt a fire in my cheeks as I recalled my charm's previous owner and the means by which I had required my treasure.

And the first chapter's up! How did y'all like it? I'm not so sure about the plotline I have going right now cause it's a bit sad, but I'm hoping all of my beloved readers will like it. Review please! I'll mention you in the next chapter if you do! Pretty please review? With a cherry on top?

Director Dude: Cut! Hey, look! It's a talking softball!

Talking Softball: *Sigh*


	2. Earthquake: flashback

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm back with another chapter! If you like this one, tell me. I was feeling a bit morbid when I wrote it and now I am posting it reluctantly. Thanks to Evanescence456, bookgirl39, Noiseylazy, and Naureen97 for reviewing. Read and review, pretty please! I'll even mention anyone who reviews in the next chapter! Even the anonymous reviewers will be mentioned if you leave some kind of a name for me. And now the disclaimer!

DISCLAIMER:

Me: *holds bucket of mud over Natalie Kabra's head* Come on, Natalie. Do it or else!

Natalie: You can't make me!

Me: Yes, I can. I've got a bucket, got a bucket full of yucky mud. (You have to say it like that one song if you want it to make any sense whatsoever...)

Natalie: Y-you wouldn't!

Me: I would...*tilts bucket a bit farther*

Natalie: *whimpers* Oh, all right! All you own is the plot! Now put that disgusting STUFF down.

Me: Nope, sorry. *grins evilly and dumps the mud on Natalie*

Onwards!

Chapter 2

AMY'S POV

Amy Cahill looked to her surroundings. She just absolutely adored the sunny beaches with sparkling white sands and aquamarine waters of the small Caribbean island. In the middle of the delightful little isle sprawled the secluded luxury resort at which the Cahill duo and their au-pair Nellie had set down roots for the remainder of summer. It gave the au-pair the golden opportunity to perfect her tan and finally get that tan-tattoo in the shape of a heart positioned right above where her bikini bottoms cut off. Dan was able to let loose and enjoy himself for the first time since his grandmother's death. Amy, on the other hand, was planning to recharge her spent batteries and catch up on some well-deserved reading. She could practically HEAR the books calling her name.

But, as usual, their family crashed their party. Natalie Kabra had invited herself on the Cahills' vacation as soon as she had heard the news. Natalie and her brother Ian walked into the resort lobby like they owned the place and argued for a moment before finally agreeing to rent only one floor of the hotel. After all, their funds were considerably less than the last time they had visited. Amy grimaced at the sight and casually gathered up her belongings before attempting to make her way into one of the elevators and back to their hotel room without being noticed.

"Amy, darling! What a surprise! Well, not really but... How nice! May we have the pleasure of accompanying you on your way to your room?" Natalie Kabra gushed. Amy wasn't sure she liked this new nice-and-not-evil Natalie. It just didn't seem to fit her character. Amy pasted a smile onto her face and stepped to the side of the massive elevator in an attempt to make room for all of Natalie's pink designer suitcases. Somehow, Amy ended up squished between a wall and her somewhat-crush Ian. Natalie peered curiously at them over the top of her Mt. Everest of bags and smirked at Amy before turning back around to scrutinize her perfect fingernails.

"So, Love, how have you and Daniel and Stella been?" Ian inquired in his silky British accent.

Amy sighed, frustrated. "Don't call me that."

Ian put on a confused face though his eyes danced, "Why, Love! I thought you liked it. What am I supposed to call you then?"

Amy rolled her jade green eyes. "Whatever. And it's DAN and NELLIE," she mumbled. She had known she was going to lose that argument when the words slipped, unbidden, out of her mouth.

"Of course, Love. Dan and Nella. How could I have forgotten?" Ian smiled good-naturedly.

Amy frowned. "Nellie, Ian. It's Nellie."

"So, what great read have you come across recently?" He ignored her objections and gestured to her book.

"Nothing. I've not even cracked this one open yet. Too many distractions." She remarked absentmindedly, watching the numbers tick off until finally, her floor lit up. "Uh... This is me. If I can just..." She trailed off as she realized that there was no way she was going to exit the elevator unless Natalie's bags grew legs and danced away. In other words, she had to wait until the Kabras unloaded all of their luggage.

"Oh, dear. It seems that you'll just have to go on up to our floor with us. Could you possibly do that? I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Love, but it's just the way it's going to have to be. Oh, and I recall that you excel at the game of chess. We packed a set. Would you care for a match?" Amy sighed and nodded while wistfully watching as the elevator doors slid shut. Ian went on and on about how old and expensive their chess set was and who of importance had played using it. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Natalie roll her eyes and shake her head in frustration.

NATALIE'S POV

'When WILL my idiot brother grow out of this unholy crush?' She thought angrily as she turned her attention back to her perfectly shaped and painted nails. Wait, was that a chip? There was a chip in the paint on her precious little finger! She shrieked and Amy and Ian turned to her in alarm.

"Natalie, what's wrong?" Ian asked as he planted his foot on one of the larger pink suitcases to boost himself up in order to better see his sister.

"I-I-I chipped the paint on one of my nails!" she wailed indignantly. She then looked to Ian and noted how much taller he seemed than when they had entered the elevator. She looked over her pile of bags hesitantly. Horrified, she shrieked again.

"Ian! You know better! Get your filthy designer shoes OFF of my suitcases!" Just as she said this the elevator dinged and a footman stood in waiting to help them unload their luggage.

AMY'S POV

Amy bent down to pick up a couple of the smaller bags before Ian took them from her and set them back down.

"Love, you can't cart our luggage! You're a guest!" Ian said and led her off of the elevator and into the suite. Natalie followed, muttering little nothings about her nails, the cleanliness of her suitcases, and her brother's unhealthy obsession. With what, she never said. Amy wondered what on Earth Ian could possibly be obsessed with when suddenly, she was thrown out of her musings as the ground trembled and she stumbled and fell.

'This can't be good,' she thought as the space between her body and the floor closed rapidly.

IAN'S POV

Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Ian saw Amy go down out of the corner of his eye and reached for her, but was knocked over by a combination of Natalie and her bags. Ian broke Natalie's fall, and they were buried beneath a mountain of luggage. But through a tiny hole between two huge bags, he saw a little bag topple off of their pile and land right beneath Amy's head.

'No! No no no no no,' he thought frantically as he pushed at the bags on top of him. He saw Amy's eyes go wide as her head struck the wheels at the bottom of the little bag. Finally, the bags gave way with the help of the quaking ground and tumbled off of him and his sister. He scrambled over to Amy. He had never before felt so scared.

"Amy? Love? Oh, come on. Amy!" He shouted as he shook her shoulders.

AMY'S POV

Amy watched as her demise unfolded in front of her. The earthquake shook the ground and she lost her footing. Ian reached for her but was buried beneath Natalie and her hundreds of bags. Amy blinked and watched as a smaller suitcase tumbled from the top of the pile of luggage and landed where she knew her head was going to meet the plush carpet. It wouldn't have been so bad if that was all she fell on. It was soft and cushiony, and she had no doubt that it would catch her with outstretched arms.

But in the blink of an eye, all of that changed. She felt a sharp pain in her head as it hit one of the wheels on the bag. Her vision grew blurry and she shut her eyes. Darkness overcame her.

She was flying. The darkness around her wasn't frightening, it was comforting.

'No, wait. I'm not flying. I'm falling!' She thought. She tried to call out to her brother, but no words would come out. She stuck out her arms and tried in vain to find something to hold on to.

Suddenly, a voice pierced through the rushing wind and she felt her descent slow. Colors surrounded her and a face danced before her. It was Ian. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words formed. She knew she only had a moment before the darkness overtook her again. Reaching up to her neck, she stuck her hand through a warm, sticky substance in her hair and yanked at her late grandmother's jade necklace. It came off easily and she pressed it into Ian's hand.

"Find Dan," she managed before she closed her eyes for the last time.

IAN'S POV

Ian took the bloodstained necklace from Amy's fragile hand and squeezed it. 'Find Dan,' he thought. He felt her wrist for a pulse, but found none. He stood and walked over to the pile of luggage. He dug through it and found his sister.

'At least she didn't leave me,' he thought dejectedly. He picked her up and carried her down the flights of stairs, remembering not to get into the elevator after an earthquake. The unconscious girl and her brother emerged into the lobby and Ian took in the destruction of the pool area where Dan and Nellie had been lounging. They were nowhere to be found. The pool was drained and a gaping rift had opened in the middle. He noticed a woman on her knees hiding under one of the pool-side tables. He gingerly placed Natalie down and walked over to her.

"Hello. You can come out now. I'm sure there won't be an aftershock," Ian reassured the lady as she reluctantly crawled from her place of safety.

"Do you remember seeing a little boy with sandy-blonde hair in the pool right around the time the quake began?" He asked her soothingly. Much to his surprise, she nodded.

"Oh, wonderful! Could you tell me where he is now? Is he hiding like you were?" he inquired. She nodded again and pointed to the empty pool.

"H-he's still in there," she said softly. Ian cocked his head to the side in misunderstanding. He looked to the empty pool and shook his head.

"No, I don't see him. He's not there..." he trailed off as her words sunk in. "Oh, dear." He left the woman and leapt into the crater where the pool used to be. He gazed down into the jagged hole in the ground and searched for any sign of the eleven year old. All he saw was black. He climbed back out of the pool and looked back to her.

"How about the teenager who was with him? She has black hair with platinum streaks and big, black sunglasses and most likely had ear buds in her ears that were blasting random songs," he waited for a response, but the lady pointed to a huge chunk of twisted metal and rock that had landed in between two small tables. On one of them sat a pair of big, black Hollywood shades. On the other was a half-empty orange drink. He looked at the scene in horror.

Next to the sunglasses sat an iPod touch set on shuffle. A cord ran from the player to the ground and under the chunk of building. Ian gulped and thanked the woman. He stumbled over to his stirring sister and sat her up.

"Hey, guess what?" he said softly. "An earthquake finished the job Mother started years ago." And with that, Ian Kabra, heir of the Lucian branch, wept. He cried for himself, his sister, Daniel Cahill, Nellie Gomez, and for the auburn haired girl with her jade eyes that had given him a jade dragon pendant as she died.

A/N: And this chapter is officially done! Tell me if you like it. If I don't get many reviews, I might be tempted to change this whole chapter and not post the third one for a time in which I will be fixing this chapter to more represent the plot I originally came up with... Again, thanks to my four reviewers and-

Director Dude: Cut!

Me: No. Not yet. As I was saying...

Read and review! Thanks in advance, and I hope you liked it! : )

Director Dude: Now?

Me: Yes.

Director Dude: Cut!


	3. The Serum: Present

A/N: Why are there authors' notes at the beginning AND end of chapters? Does anyone else find this annoying? Sooo... Thank-you so much to bookgirl39, cinnberrytrix, sarlovesoccer, Evanescence456, and MADgrl for reviewing. Oh, and this story is still far from over even though... Oh, well. Just read. Hope you enjoy it. I mention reviewers' names in the next chapter. I don't own anything but the plot...

BACK TO THE FUTURE

IAN'S POV

Ian cringed at the sudden onslaught of pain-filled memories. He had so many regrets. If only he had persuaded Natalie NOT to bring a little rolling bag full of dart guns and tranquilizers "just in case". Maybe then, Amy would still be alive. There were bunches of maybe's and if's. But none of them could change the past. He looked up and remembered that his mother was still waiting on an answer.

"Well, Mother. I guess I keep my treasure with me at all times. It's…a part of me." he drew his words out, while trying to guess where the rest of the serum was.

"That's right, Ian. And here is where I keep my treasure." She pulled her necklace out of her shirt and displayed it in front of him. Ian wondered how she had been allowed to keep it with her in prison, but he remembered it. Right around the time she came to the peak of her cruelty, she had started to wear that oddly mesmerizing trinket. He recalled several times in which she habitually twirled it around her finger. One of the more prominent times was in the Gauntlet. She had just emerged from the shadows to surprise us and she was twirling it. The glowing green liquid swished around inside the small glass vase. It consumed his thoughts for a moment before he noticed that his mother had begun to speak again.

"Of course, I saved some of it for you and your sister. I'll give it to you if you like. But you'll have to get more green stuff to go inside the little vase. I've grown rather attached to it." She looked to Ian questioningly, but all he could do was nod. His first thought was his sister.

"I'll have to get Natalie, of course." He managed. They exchanged a few more words, but Ian felt like he was already gone. When he finally left the prison, he whipped out his cell and texted Natalie:

'Hey. I've got news. It's about Mother. No, she didn't die. She has something for us. Meet me at the prison ASAP.'

He clicked 'send'. He sat for a few minutes on the bench outside, then got up and began to pace. Then he remembered the green substance that his mother had said she wanted to replace the serum. He jumped into his car and raced to the nearest supermarket. He purchased a few items and mixed them together. They gave off an iridescent green glow, just like the serum in Isabel's necklace. When he finally got back to the prison, Natalie was there waiting for him.

"What's wrong, Ian?" He pulled her into the prison and they waited to be granted entrance to their mother's cell.

"Come on. You've got to give me something! I'm just dying of curiosity." She pestered him. He gave in and explained to her an abbreviated version of his talk with Isabel. She blanched.

"How do we know she won't try to trick us?" she asked. She shifted uncomfortably so that the majority of her weight was not on the foot with the bullet shot wound. The physical wound had healed long ago, but the emotional one was still firmly in place.

"We don't. That's why I am going to drink it first. To make sure it's safe. Then you're going to drink the rest of it. If it's not poison. If it is and I collapse or something, snatch it from me and run for the guards. Don't worry about me. Run. And when you get home, test it for chemicals. Boil out the poisons and then drink whatever's left. Are we clear?" Natalie hesitated a moment before slowly nodding her head.

"Go on in, you two," the guard said gently.

The brother and sister walked into the cell and sat across the table from their mother.

"Natalie! How marvelous to see you! My, how you've grown. You're so beautiful and you're all grown up…" Isabel trailed off as she noticed the hard look in her daughter's eyes. She sighed, "So I suppose you are here to get the serum. Well, here it is. Divide it fairly, children."

She took off her necklace and held it out in Natalie's direction. Natalie frowned and Ian snatched it from his mother's outstretched hand. He looked at Natalie. She nodded. He popped off the little cork-cap and placed it on the table. Ever so slowly, he raised it to his lips. Finally, with one last glance at his mother, he allowed the liquid to come in contact with his lips. It was sweet and tangy at the same time. He found himself wondering why he had not trusted his mother earlier. She wasn't evil. Just misunderstood. And as he swallowed, he stretched out his hand towards his sister.

"It's not…bad?" she asked timidly. Since when was his sister timid? And that hesitation was all the time the serum needed to react inside of his body. He doubled over and Natalie caught the little vase. She peered down at her brother in horror.

"What did you do to him?" She screeched at the woman she had once called her mother.

"Run… Natalie… Run…" Ian squeaked out. His body was at war. His insides felt as if they were on fire. Then, he recalled the green liquid that his mother had tried to trick the Cahills with and he realized what he had ingested. In his last moments of consciousness, he found himself thinking about that lovely girl with the auburn hair and dancing jade eyes and regret swamped him. All he wanted was a second chance. He wanted to undo what he had done in that cave in Korea so long ago. He wanted…but he didn't want anything anymore. He couldn't want anything anymore. Ian Kabra was dead.

A/N: For the second time since the start of this story, my mind was set to MORBID. I love that word. Anyway, ummm...oh! Don't forget to review! I think that in order for y'all to get the next chapter, I must reach at least the 13 mark in my review count. My fave # btw... Thanks to my reviewers from the last chapter. I love y'all! Okay, Director Dude!

Director Dude: Right-o. Cut!


	4. Second Chance

Chapter #4: Ian's Replay

A/N: No depressing themes this time! Yay! I feel accomplished. Thank-you so much to my reviewers Evanescence456, bookgirl39, DinoicallySarcastic, and Eva. I mention reviewers in the next chapter. Ummm... I hate to ask this again, but I'm kinda going to need at least 20 reviews before I post the next chapter. So all of you who read but don't review, consider all of my other readers and review already! Thanks!

I don't own the 39 Clues and that one passage I copied but changed around a few words is sooo not mine... But I wish it was...

IAN'S POV

Ian opened his eyes and staggered backwards. What was this? He was expecting heaven, not a musty cellar. He tripped over a pile of books and landed hard on his rump. Pain shot through his body, but not because of his fall. Then it all came rushing back to him. The books meant a library, and the only cellar-like library he had ever visited was in Korea. Korea meant Alistair Oh's mansion, and Alistair's mansion meant the huge dog named Buffy that Alistair loved so dearly. Add all of that up and he stumbled upon exactly why his backside hurt the way it did and why he was not wearing his usual Armani dress pants (A/N: You would only know what I'm alluding to if you have read the third 39 Clues book...). He vaguely recalled his surroundings and put two and two together resulting in remembering the importance of the time-period he had just entered. He figured that he was most likely in the old Ekat library on Alistair's mansion's grounds. Sure enough, there were Daniel Cahill, his sister Natalie, his distant uncle Alistair, and...

"Ian, are you o-okay? You'd b-better get up soon, or we might l-lose." The girl with porcelain skin and soft, jade eyes shifted her attention from him back to the book on the table in front of her.

"Amy? How did you..." He trailed off and shook his head. He grabbed the book that lay on top of him and examined it. It was about some important leader or something. He handed her the book and she smiled her thanks. His heart skipped a beat. When was the last time he had seen her enchanting smile?

Then, he paused to collect his thoughts and examine his situation. Suddenly, his mind was overpowered by a prominent memory. He knew it loomed in his near future and he swore to himself that, even if it meant exposing his virtues to his mother much earlier than before, he would do whatever he could to keep history from repeating itself.

AMY'S POV

Ian just sat there, on the floor, and stared at her. Amy thought that she would give almost anything to know what was going on in his mind at that moment. He really was creeping her out. The one-sided staring contest that they seemed to have engaged in coupled with the strange way in which he had jumped through a hoop to be her partner in the little race Alistair had set up caused her to fidget in her seat. She shifted the book so that she could see both Ian and the captivating words on the yellowed pages at the same time.

Amy's eyes flicked over to him and back to the book. Finally, she summoned up courage and said, "S-seriously, Ian. You k-kinda need to go a-and find m-more books. I c-can't do this on my o-own."

He seemed to shake himself out of a daze. "Sorry, love. Just became a bit-distracted." He picked himself up off of the floor, brushed off his pants, and continued browsing through the shelf to his right.

"What are we looking for again?" He seemed genuinely confused.

Amy narrowed her eyes a bit, but replied, "We're looking f-for a lead on the alchemy clue of T-Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a Japanese T-Tomas. I think I have it f-figured out, but I need a f-few more b-books about alchemists of his time and some about the Sword Hunt m-maybe. Can you d-do that, or do you need to take a b-break?" At that last part, a blush rose onto her cheeks and she chastised herself for being so forward with a Cobra. Ian just shook his head and went back to browsing through the books.

He took some books and sat beside her at the desk. As he was perusing one of them, Amy gasped. (A/N: I give full credit for the idea from this next part to Peter Lerangis)

"I-Ian! I-I've got it! L-Look at this book. Uncle Alistair, what does it say?" Alistair rushed over to her and patted her shoulder.

"My dear, this belonged to Hideyoshi. It was found by an enemy warlord. It was the only item in Hideyoshi's tent during a raid-"

Dan and Natalie crowded around as well. "But what's it say, dude?" Dan sensed Amy's excitement but wondered what could possibly be interesting about a bunch of weird letters.

Alistair adjusted his glasses and translated, "The cover reads, 'Hideyoshi, nine' - perhaps a sketchbook or coloring book from his childhood."

"Wait. Why would it say 'Hideyoshi'?" Amy asked. "Wasn't he called something else as a child?"

Her uncle's eyes widened. "Yes, Hiyoshimaru! Good catch. If this were really his childhood book, _that_ name would be on the cover."

Amy gently took the book back. Suddenly, she felt a weight on her shoulder. Ian had gotten up and come around behind her in order to better see the book. His hand rested gently on her shoulder.

Amy flipped through pages of monsters, battle scenes, and landscapes. But Ian distracted her. He gave her shoulder a slight squeeze of reassurance and lowered himself down to her level. She could her him breathing right beside her ear. It was...comforting. In a strange way.

"Th-th-this... this stuff is way to g-g-good for a nine-year-old..." Hands shaking, she opened to a page that showed a strange, modern-looking collection of stars and random lines.

"A child could have done that," Natalie said sarcastically.

IAN'S POV

'When was Natalie ever so rude?' Ian wondered. He remembered what came next. Dan noticed that the 'Nine' on the cover wasn't an age, but meant 'page nine'. Amy ripped out the page, much to Alistair's dismay, and fitted the ripped out sheet to Alistair's piece of parchment. Everyone 'oohed' and 'aahed' at the landscape of a rocky area the dots and dashes seemed to make.

Alistair spoke next, "Three horns..."

"Say what?" Daniel exclaimed, utterly confused.

Alistair laughed and pushed Ian out of the way a bit in order to give Amy a hug. Ian couldn't help but marvel at her discovery. It seemed so...impossible. But with Amy, he guessed that the impossible was never too far out of reach.

"Thanks to Amy, I know where this is! And we're going there first thing tomorrow morning." Alistair announced. (A/N: From here on, this is my own idea.)

Alistair allowed the children a moment to celebrate before directing them out of the musty library. Ian walked silently behind the rest, watching Amy's every move. He sighed. She meant so much to him. How could he ever betray her?

A/N: How did you like it? Review and tell me! I decided to keep the previous chapters the way they are because my other idea just doesn't make sense her... Also. My high school softball team is going to the play-offs. We have Area next week and then Bi-District, Regionals, State Final Four, and finally the prestigious State! I'm sooo looking forward to it. I'll probably be writing all of my chapters on a bus on the way to like Dallas, Fort-Worth, Beaumont, Austin and stuff like that... Fun! Anyway, review!

*raises eyebrows at you* Go ahead. Even if you don't have an account, you can review. Hurry, now. The world might hang in the balance. It doesn't, but I'm just saying, you know, REVIEW! :D


	5. The Gardens

Ian's Replay: Chapter#5

**A/N: Here's chapter 5. Happy birthday to thenewnudge! I hope you like it. School softball is coming to a close, so I might have more time to update. But we still have play-offs. And softball season never really ends for me. I'm one of those addicts who play select in the summer and then league and select in the fall. And finally in the spring, school and select. Then I start over. It never gets boring. I'm rambling again... Anyway, thanks bunches to my reviewers bookgirl39, Evanescence456, RandomReviewer, thenewnudge, Woman in Black, sarlovesoccer, and MADgrl. Remember, I mention reviewers' names in the next chapter. I think that in order to get the next chapter, I must receive at least 35 reviews from my awesome readers. I need a few days between this chapter and the next... And those of you who read, but do not review, tsk tsk. PLEASE REVIEW! Enjoy. :D**

**I don't own the 39 Clues. Or The Mutant Ninja Turtles. Why must we do this, again?**

AMY'S POV

I felt Ian watching me. It made a burning-slash-tingling sensation crawl up my back to my neck. It felt...good. But I couldn't think about him right now. I had to focus on the hunt. And what had Natalie said? 'When we DO find this clue, we're going to cut you loose. We have our reputations to think of, you know.' I shook off the feeling of dread I harbored for that day. In a way, I hoped that we never found this next clue. That way, the Kabras and Cahills would have a good excuse to keep our alliance. But I had no doubt that that would never happen.

I walked over to my Uncle Alistair and waited for him to finish his conversation with his butler.

"Yes, sir. I will have lunches ready for you and your...the children in the morning." The butler concluded as Alistair thanked him and turned to me.

"My, dear. What you did in there was nothing short of genius. I'm very proud to be able to call you my niece." He patted my shoulder. "Did you need something?"

"W-well, yes. I w-wanted to know if I w-was allowed to go into y-your garden t-to read f-for a while."

"Of course, my dear. And you are especially welcome to take any book you wish from my mansion's wide assortment of books. Just make sure you put them back when you finish them, yes?"

I nodded fervently. The I turned and almost ran to his library. There were so many possibilities. I could read about revolutions in science, medicine, and mathematics. There were entire sections of the library completely devoted to music, art, and history. I finally settled on a book on Nannerl Mozart. I could have happily sunk into one of the couches in Alistair's library, but I walked out of the library as I remembered the tranquility of his gardens.

As I was about to reach the door, I heard the sounds of someone groaning in defeat.

"I can't believe you beat me! That's not POSSIBLE. No one beats the Most High Ninja Lord at his own Mutant Ninja Turtles video game! I call for a rematch. You must have cheated!"

"Face it, Daniel. You were just defeated by a girl. I'll bet you I could do it again. With one hand tied behind my back. Literally."

"You're on, Cobra. I'll bet you five bucks that I'll beat you." I stopped for a moment and grinned. I heard the crinkling of paper as Dan, no doubt, pulled a crumpled five dollar bill from his pocket.

"Five American dollars?" Natalie announced incredulously. "I have a million times that available to me on my credit card. Why not...four hundred? That's a reasonable amount."

I could imagine that Dan rolled his eyes at that moment before realizing just what Natalie had actually said. "WHAT! I doubt Nellie has earned that much from Aunt Beatrice in the few months she got paid! Fine. You strike a hard bargain. I'll make it a ten."

I snickered at this and walked out the door before I heard anything else. Aunt Beatrice certainly had drilled into me that it was a sin to eavesdrop. I followed her original plan and got myself lost in Alistair's garden. Eventually, I found a marvelous shade tree and laid at the base of its thick trunk. I opened my book and immersed myself in the life of one of my heroes.

IAN'S POV

I stumbled across Amy quite accidentally. I remembered from last time I had lived this portion of my life that my mother was waiting on an update. But I didn't want to give her one. Instead, I ended up wandering Alistair's gardens, being cautious for the man-eating dog he kept to guard the old library. My phone had already buzzed twice. Both texts were from my mother:

'Ian. I am waiting on an update. I do not enjoy waiting. It is for those of the peasantry class.'

I rolled my eyes. In case she hadn't heard, there had been three social classes since the fourteenth century. Not just two. Where had she been for the last 700 years?

'Ian give me an update right this instant. I demand it.'

I clenched my teeth. How was I supposed to handle this? I finally decided to answer her after the most recent text I received.

'Ian if you do not give me an update, I will assume something has gone terribly wrong and go to Korea to have a face-to-face chat with your captor myself.'

I couldn't have her coming anywhere near Amy. She would no doubt guess that something was up between the two of them. I guessed that by this time, she had already taken the serum and was a tactical genius. She would no doubt see the situation the moment she encountered it. I had to keep her away for as long as possible.

'Yes, Mother. I was out of reception for a while. Our task is going smoothly. We should have the next clue by tomorrow morning.'

I received a reply almost instantly:

'Finally. Your ploy has fooled the Cahill girl? There is no reason for me to get my hands dirty?'

'Have faith, Mother. We will be on our way to the next clue before you know it.'

I held my breath and hoped against hope that she would not reply. I was satisfied by her response:

'Very well. Your father and I look forward to Kabra success.'

I was about to let out a harsh laugh when I looked up and noticed Amy sitting in the clearing under one of the shade trees. I snapped my mouth shut and remained silent. I stood, mesmerized by the girl's uncanny beauty. One word came to mind. 'Lovely.' I longed to say it out loud and watch her reaction, but I knew that the time wasn't right.

"Hello, Love." Amy looked up, startled.

"O-oh. I d-didn't see y-you the-there." She stumbled through the sentence. I let her words wash over me. It was refreshing to hear her voice again.

"Yes, well, um, you did well with all the puzzles in Alistair's library earlier. Did Grace teach you that?" I strolled over to her and sat on the grass beside her. The only reason I allowed myself to do so was because I was not wearing my Armani pants. She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"N-no. Y-yes. Well, I-I don't know i-if she m-meant to. Sh-she t-taught us little th-things. Y-you know?"

I was confused. I hadn't expected this. I had always supposed that the reason that the Cahill siblings had won the contest was because of the training the famed Grace Cahill had given them before she died. Was Amy lying? Did she view me as so untrustworthy that she couldn't tell me the truth? Or was it true and Grace had left her grandchildren literally without a clue as to what they were supposed to do?

"So Grace never told you anything about the 39 clues?" Amy shook her head. Then she blushed.

AMY'S POV

What was I thinking? Ian had caught me off-guard, and now I was telling him stuff that, so far, I hadn't even discussed with Dan! I had to put that trusty block back on my mouth. The stutter certainly helped. I hated when I heard it, I heard it when I talked, so it gave me the perfect incentive NOT to talk. I mentally reentered the conversation between Ian and me to find that, much to my dismay, he had asked me a question and was waiting patiently for an answer.

"I-I'm s-sorry, w-what w-was that?" I squeaked. Hopefully, he hadn't asked me something that he wouldn't feel comfortable repeating. Nah. This was Ian Kabra. He would feel comfortable saying anything and he would accompany it with his trademark smirk.

IAN'S POV

I had said it. I had gathered up all of the courage I had, and I said the word. 'Lovely.' Luckily, she hadn't heard it. Just another indication that it was not meant to be said just yet.

"Oh, um, I said...it's getting late. We should go in for supper. Natalie sent me out here to offer you a makeover or something. She said that you might like it."

"O-okay. Sure." Then she laughed a little. "D-did you h-hear them earlier? D-Dan and N-Natalie? Th-they were p-playing s-some video game and Natalie w-was b-beating Dan. C-can you b-believe it?" I sighed. Amy had laughed. It was such a beautiful, tinkling sound.

"No. What happened, Love?" She frowned but answered.

"N-Natalie b-bet Dan that she c-could beat h-him with one h-hand tied b-behind her b-back. Th-then they st-st-st...began to d-decide on a p-price."

I had to admit, that scene was funny in my head.

"What happened next, Love?" Amy blushed and turned her head.

"I-I didn't ea-ea-ea...stay to listen. I wanted t-to read." I smiled. I knew what she was trying to say. She didn't want to eavesdrop. She fell silent, and we walked back to Alistair's mansion in a semi-comfortable silence.

**A/N: Whew! It's done! I hoped you liked it. This and the next couple of chapters are just kind of filler material. So, there's not as much action. No death either. So that's good. Anyway, review please! and alert me to OOC-ness. I couldn't tell if that last part was or not... Thanks in advance for your wonderful reviews! See you all next chapter.**


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